PEDIATRICIAN BELOVED FOR KINDNESS

When pediatrician Richard Walls hung out his shingle in La Jolla, he quickly became the epitome of a bygone American icon: the kindly village doctor. Calling his young patients “Champ” or “Princess” and literally whistling while he worked, Dr. Walls played an integral role in the care and upbringing of children — and subsequently their children — for 31 years.

“His pediatric care was literally legendary,” said Monica Mainwaring, who credits Dr. Walls with saving her son’s life. “There’s not a mother in the area who hasn’t heard of him and of his excellent care.”

He cited a time Dr. Walls spent more than 2½ hours on the phone with a family whose child had been diagnosed with leukemia by another doctor.

“Even though the child wasn’t his patient, Dr. Walls wouldn’t get off the phone until they were ready to get off the phone,” Marshall said. “Pediatricians are always saintly, but Richard was like Numero Uno.

“He was just the sweetest man, so kind to everybody. A good role model and inspiration for others.”

Dr. Walls died of a heart attack Sept. 13 at his home in La Jolla. He was 64.

Richard Parker Walls was born Nov. 24, 1948, in Charleston, W.Va., the second of three children to Earl Walls and Helen Parker Walls. He moved to San Diego with his family when he was 15, graduating from La Jolla High School in 1966, and receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego’s Revelle College in 1970.

In 1975, he earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology from University of Southern California before attending medical school. Four years later, he graduated from the USC School of Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

When he began his private practice in La Jolla, he became heavily involved in the American Academy of Pediatrics, serving in various roles including president of the local chapter from 1994 to 1997. He served as chief of staff of Rady Children’s Hospital in 2000 and 2001 and was a pioneer in complementary and alternative medicine for children, serving on the National Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine from 2000 to 2001. He was also a member of the AAP Section on Pharmacology and Therapeutics since 1999.

Dr. Walls didn’t make house calls, but he did open up his own home, particularly to expectant parents. As a youngster, Daniel Fischer was his patient; when Fischer was an expectant parent, he and his wife received an invitation to Dr. Walls’ home, along with the good doctor’s cell and home phone numbers.

“He had us over to his house before our first child was born to consult and prep us on how our lives were going to change,” Fischer said. “He was great at explaining things and soothing parents.

“His first real job was to be there for the child, but he was certainly great with the parents as well.”

And, of course, he was there in the clinches.

Fischer said he recently referred a frantic mother to Dr. Walls after her baby fell onto a glass table, suffering severely cut hands. It was rush hour on a Friday and the mother arrived at the doctor’s office five minutes after 5 o’clock. The office was closed.

“Dr. Walls saw her in the window, grabbed his nurse, opened the door and treated the child,” Fischer said. “That is the person he was. Just because his office was closed, he wouldn’t refer her to someone else or tell her to go away. That story is typical.”

Dr. Walls is survived by his wife of 42 years, the former Theresa Stanford of La Jolla; sons Daniel Walls of South Korea, Andrew Walls of Seattle and Jonathan Walls of La Jolla; a sister, Linda Fortney of Palomar Mountain; and a brother, James Walls, of Poway.

A public memorial service will be at 4 p.m. today on the upper field at La Jolla Elementary School. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Dr. Wall’s memory to the Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation or to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.